The Psychological Services Group (PSG) is introducing 2015 as the Year of Positivity. In the coming issues of OffBeat, we are going to explain how one can remain more optimistic and hopeful and experience more positive emotions through life-experience sharing by Force members.

 

Many Force members and commanders unanimously recommended Station Sergeant (SSGT) Yeung Chi-fai when we mentioned about Positivity. Therefore, we have interviewed him before his retirement in October so that we can benefit from his wisdom of Positivity.

 

 

Many Force members are aware of SSGT Yeung's story. He met an armed robbery in 1993 during Emergency Unit patrol. Fire shots were exchanged and SSGT Yeung was shot in the face. He was sent to Intensive Care Unit, where he remained in a coma for a week. Upon regaining consciousness, he faced the fact that brain injuries had  caused blindness in his right eye and deafness in his right ear. He also went through repeated surgeries, which brought him permanent physical changes and a lot of pain.

 

However when people learned of SSGT Yeung's story and later met him in person, they were impressed by his smiles, outgoing character and passion. What was his recipe for positivity after his trauma?

 

To know SSGT Yeung wisdom, first we need to understand what he deemed the most difficult for him.  "The most difficult first step was to accept myself. It was important for me to allow myself to talk to someone I trusted. I finally accepted the assistance of the Force's Psychologist, from whom I learned a lot of psychological self-adjustment," he said.

 

SSGT Yeung was only in his early 30s when he got out of coma in hospital. He used to think he was a "can-do" person. It was a great blow to him at that time when he learned of his physical limitations: inability to talk, permanent visual and hearing impairments, headache and unpredictable limb cramp. He was so dejected that he refused occupational therapy.

 

The three-month hospitalization was a "good training ground" for SSGT Yeung's psychological and cognitive flexibility. He said: "I learned to set the goals that fit time and needs. I adjusted myself to set a reasonable goal: do whatever beneficial to my health. The motivation to set goals was important. At that time, my motivations were my wife and one-year-old daughter because I still had responsibilities for my family. I wanted to see my daughter grow up. I told myself to try anything that would help myself even though I might not like it."

 

With a new, flexible mindset of keep trying in life, SSGT Yeung overcame his confusion about work. "I never worked indoors because I am a man of action. I was very concerned about resuming outdoor work when I was on one-year sick leave. I finally had to accept that I, with permanent physical limitations, was not suitable for outdoor work.  I learned to try other ways to get job satisfaction. Throughout the years, my wisdom is that even when you risk making mistakes, you have to try different pathways to solve problems."

 

SSGT Yeung then began his "psychological journey" to accept working indoors. "It was during the last 10 years that I gradually accepted my limitations. The experience of my trauma helped me solve problems and think analytically. I learned to focus on things that I can change to find satisfaction."

 

 

Besides the limitations of body and work, SSGT Yeung faced different frustrations such as being isolated and laughed at. His bad mood often made him lose his temper at home. "I thank my wife for taking the first step to seek help from the PSG and the Welfare Services Group. She did not want my temper to affect our daughter. She showed more understanding for my difficulties. And I learned to engage in some positive activities to distract myself from negative thinking. For example, I took the initiative to get engaged in the daily care for my daughter. I also enjoyed playing with her. As she got older, we became more intimate. She asked me to share with her my ups and downs. My wife also helped me focus on the positive things in life. For example, she organised parties and short travels for me, reminding me that family is always most important." SSGT Yeung also kept in touch with his friends and colleagues, making efforts to cement their friendship.

 

 

SSGT Yeung has demonstrated the traits of hope in psychology: setting a clear, flexible goal, finding pathways to attain the goal, and remaining motivated to keep on moving towards the goal. He also took part in activities that could enhance his positive emotions. He wishes to share the positive thinking he has learned over the years with young people in order to help them tackle their own difficulties.

 

He is a real man - never defeated despite his serious gunshot wound. Instead, he has learned more about life than many other people. He always attributes his success to his family. Indeed, his intimate relationships with his wife and daughter are the envy of many people. We sincerely wish him a happy retirement.